Mavi'ihld, South Yaiuia, M Alto It B, 188(1. My Dearest Marie,—! hoar tlmfc tlio socond daughter of a well-known squatter, now gono ovor to the great majority, will shortly bo marrlod. The ^ Sb, Hilda, 1 think, and there will probably bo a very gay woddlng, as the bridegroom* olocb is a rich ISngUshmati, just out from tho old country, * * * I KKMEMUEB hoaring, somo yoars ago, a funny story of one of tho brothers of this bride-to-be. Ho was young and livoly at tho time, and boys will bo boys you know. Ho was staying with somo companions at Soott's. Tho party had boon out " on tho bond," as a Ooltio friend of ours says, ono night, and oatno back to tho hotol In the groy light of tho morning, Walking! along tho corridors thoy passed a numbor of closed bod-room doors, oaoh flanked by tho boots of tho inmate of tho room, God of sloop reigned supromo A suddon idea struck tho horo of my story. He com. munioated it to his friends. In a few minutes thoy had gathorod up all the visible boots,...

Sly-Tape Selling. ITcnv that tho Soyou o'oloolc Closing Act is in foi'oo, wo suppose that ono will soon road in tho newspapers of sly-tape soiling, as wo luivo ot'fcon rond of sly-grog soiling. Xni'aot, anything which a shopkoopor dares to sell at'tor sovon o'oloolc in. tho ovoning will lmvo to bo on tho sly, Now, is not such ft law absurd, not to say tyrannical. Wo could understand suoli an arbitrary lnwboing enacted by. the Emperor of Jtussia, or the Shah of Porsia, but in a froo community like Victoria, it is scarcely credible that such things could oxist, The question, howovor, may bo askod and -with apparent reason, why did not ihc pooplo whom suoh a law oonccrned most—tho shopkeojjers in the suburbs—tako some stops to oppose the passing of it in tile Legislatures. Tho only answer that wo have to give is, that the shopkeepers thought the law so utterly absurd that* they fully boliovod it would never come into force. But, here it is. It lias crept on us unawares, and is now a st...

^Hiiirch and Stage. FuA9F.ii, tlio lato Bishop oE [lor, caused a good deal of [in England aotno years ago ppioning the cause of the ami hi? successor, it will be lr«l, gftvo similar offence to |f tho "unco guid" by invit\x=req-\ |, Crcswick to Bishopseourt: H3 cnn remember the thrill limtion with which wo heard that a clergyman in Now II refused to rend the burial jvcv nn nctor, mid the h'earti\x=req-\ Itli which wo joined in tho |n "Uoss tho little ohuroh Itho comer" whose more gon\x=req-\ fcstov Imd no such narrow | religious duty. . Happily we in nn ngo which has re\x=req-\ |liehnn from tho players' occu-' Ihe most oxolusive circles ! open to actors, and .actresses, tviitl M lytiUy is not above recognising' an artist s ( I Quite recently Mr. Irving': refused a ami we huvo no doubt that a much gonor would l)o his for the asking., .In. a |®e a peculiarly English and frequently jtJtooil wljoctivo, actors are now considered., >'e." The Hev, G. North Ash, M.A., • sermon ou "tl\e St...

Our Illustrations. In addition to sis humorous illustrated socialities wb? give this week portraits of Sir Charles and Lady Dilke; also a portrait of Mrs. • Armstrong, the Australian soprano, who leaves shortly for Europe. Mrs. 'Armstrong (nhe Mitchell) is a native of Victoria, and received her musical education from Signor G^chi. The J portrait is from a photo by Tuttle and Oo. .

Dion Boucicaults Marriage. Apropos of Mr, Dion Bouolcualt's re cent marriage to Miss Thomdyke, a youthful member of his company, the veteran playwright was reoently inter viewed by a member of the stafE of the iXtnu York Ilurald. Mr. Bouclcault, it is reported, clad iu a dressing-gown of white woolly stuff reaohiug from his snow-white locks to his heels with a hood attached to the neck, and his head nearly bald, presented a striking resembl ance to a monk. After aomo talk regard ing his Australian tour, ho was asked if there wns any truth in tho statement of Agnes Robertson that ho had never been divorcod from her. Mr. Bouoioault was very reluctant to speak on the subject at all, and kindly, but flx-mly, refused to even make a simple affirmative or negative reply to the accusation. " I have never made suoh a statement," he continued, "" either in the Press or otherwise, and a report that was circul ated about five years ago, when this lady brought a suit for divorce, that I repudi a...